Looking Up When Life's Got You Down (Part 2)

I wonder how many of you have heard the term pidgin English. None of the other about my English you know why it's called pidgin English. Let me give you Yusuf! I so that you don't have to guess at it because it's almost English but not quite as was called pidgin English is like my English.

It's almost English but not quite. You know, growing up in the Middle East you soon become conscious of the difference between pigeons and the it's so easy to be able to know that the pension is almost but not quite. Now pigeons out of the same family as the and sometimes pigeons look like dogs but all are very different. They are very different. It is not an accident, therefore, that God the Holy Spirit was symbolized not by a pidgin, but would love it is not an accident that when Jesus went down into the valley into the river Jordan to be baptized and then God the Holy Spirit testified that this is God the father's beloved son.

He appears in the symbol of a dove, and not a pidgin on a keen observer of what's going on among Christians not just in this country, but around the world and as a keen observer of what's going on in the churches and Christian activities around the world without being the professing church in the confessing church. I am personally convinced that there are many Christians who are practicing pidgin religion, not the religion pidgin religion is a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit what they practice might look like the Holy Spirit may sound like the Holy Spirit might even feel like the Holy Spirit, but in reality it is pidgin religion but may explain what I mean when somebody comes to Mrs. Michael God told me, and I listen to what they claim that God told and then close analysis I find out what God told him is consistent with the word of God that is offered by the Holy Spirit of God, I have to conclude by saying this is a pidgin religion.

What I mean by that that the Holy Spirit has spoken to you. The Holy Spirit offered the Bible off of his book in whatever he says to you, whatever. This estimate could not be inconsistent what he has already revealed and therefore what they claim is not dove religionists pidgin religion then we give her some more examples. Okay so you understand what I'm trying to tell you Christians who walk around carrying all sorts of bitterness and anger and resentment in their lives, no matter how natural they claim to be. They are practicing what pidgin religion. Christians are involving malice in Florida then lie in sheeting and unethical business practices. Regardless of what minister they are and they are practicing what pidgin religion. Christians who cannot get involved in anything unless they control it and manipulated and contrivance scheme. All of the time no matter what position they may occupy. There are practicing what pidgin religion. Christians who are covetous and greedy and discontented and give back to God. Next to nothing of what God has given them there practicing what pidgin religion. Christians who spend a few moments of the day in the presence of God. Christians who do not spend time daily walking with God there practicing what pidgin religion. Christians according to all sexual immorality from adultery, fornication to the rest of it no matter what they claim they are practicing what pidgin religion.

It is not surprising, my beloved friends that the apostle Paul stressed the fact that we must not grieve the Holy Spirit. Listen carefully. I wanted to explain the word grieve in such a way that everybody will understand if you imagine a precious toddler who got scared or somebody yelled that beautiful little problem and out of fear.

What happened out of the grieving process to see their children start shaking and tears start coming another runaway from the situation. That's what the word grieving of the Holy Spirit does, and when a Christian habitually said when a Christian constantly living in sin. They are grieving the Holy Spirit and the dog will fly live fly away doesn't mean that you lose your salvation but you have grieve the Holy Spirit. A pidgin does not grieve very easily, but the doctors pigeons adjust to us a dove.

Never, never, we have to adjust to the dove pigeons can easily be enticed by any sorts of food that you throw their way. Dove never pigeons are both intrusive and inclusive dove is a gentleman that is neither pigeons can easily be manipulated by folks by people BIOS. The dove never pigeons fight each other all the time. They are constantly fighting each other. The so ever pigeons are unaffected by noise that surrounds him or screaming.

You go to the main squares of any city where lots of pigeons and noises everywhere than they totally oblivious to it, not the dove.

The dove would leave immediately when there is noise. Pigeons are territorial and very defensive but dove will only dwell in peace and serenity.

Pigeons are insensitive and boisterous doves. A gentle no wonder some years ago I saw the sign says keep your city clean pigeons while my taking time to draw the distinction between pigeons and doves simply because of the sadness that I feel in my heart that so many of us can grieving the hardest part of God and replace him with pidgin religion Christian life thinking that were walking with God.

So many Christian activities are billed pidgin religion and that is why we see a whole lot of activities going on in the Christian live in the Christian world solving activities very little genuine Holy Spirit awakening. Why, because most of our activities are pidgin religion. Have you ever wonder why the pidgin walks funny.

A pidgin walks funny because it cannot see Wallace moving. It has to stop. In order to refocus and see where it's going. The pidgin actually has to bring its head to a complete stop before it's able to see where it's going and this is a way really a pidgin walks in or take a step stop head forward, take a step head back, take a step head for the laugh. It's really true. Father walk and when you are into pidgin religion you will have a hard time seeing where you going when you are into pidgin religion. You will always have to stop between steps. Consequently, your Christian life is a series of stops and starts and stops and starts not so dove religion when you are conscious of not grieving the Holy Spirit when you are conscious of pleasing the Holy Spirit of God when you're conscious of allowing the Holy Spirit of God. Empower you for service when you are conscious of the hottest spiritual leadership in your life, your life will not be a series of stops and starts, but will be like the Bible said it's one point of glory into another. Acts 13 gives us the patent for the true awakening of the Holy Spirit. Pidgin religion genuine Holy Spirit awakening here is the packing you want to know where it is, how it can happen here.

It is in acts chapter 13 and I three things I want to share with you from the text.

The first thing is that has to be unconditional surrender to the leadership of the Holy Spirit verses 1 to 13 of acts 13. Secondly, there has to be unwillingness to sugarcoat biblical truth versus 14 to 42 of acts 13 and further, there has to be an uncompromising steadfastness in the face of opposition versus 42 to 52 first unconditional surrender to the leadership of the Holy Spirit verses 1 to 13.

The church in Antioch was a church that practiced dove religion not pidgin religion.

The church in Antioch was a church that was utterly dependent upon a church that was totally submissive to the authority of the Holy Spirit. There were not enslaved to worldly business practices that were not into manipulating people's emotions that were not trying to appease their felt needs. There were not entertaining themselves on mesmerizing people.

In fact, verse two of chapter 13 says that while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting not notice this put a circle around those words ministering to the Lord, that will not even ministering to themselves. They were not ministering to one another. They were ministering to the Lord in praise and operation. While there were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke and said, set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work. Look at verse three.

Acts 13.

After they heard the Holy Spirit clearly spoke they fasted some more. They prayed some more bagel on the presence of God. Some more and then they commissioned Paul and Barnabas will Saul and Barnabas to go. Please listen to me carefully humor rock on this one. The reason they were able to hear the Holy Spirit's voice so clearly is because they were surrendered to the Holy Spirit and because our surrendered to the Holy Spirit. There were able to obey the Holy Spirit and because it was surrendered to the Holy Spirit, unable to obey the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then sent them out to serve him and therefore they ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit know their clever ingenuity. They did not minister of their own clever engine not minister with her own brilliant strategies. They ministered according to the Holy Spirit's orders.

How how do we know that when they got into Cyprus. They went there because it's always a good idea because it was in eponymous you from Cyprus. Let's go there and they went there on the authority of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit says go because the Holy Spirit wanted to be there because the Holy Spirit already wanted to be manifested among the people of Cyprus and that is why we are told that when they got into there was this Jewish boxer by the name of our Jesus, who was mesmerizing people with his magic, including the governor of the province. Paul, who was surrendered to the authority of the Holy Spirit who was obeying the Holy Spirit who was sent by the Holy Spirit who was serving in the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul goes there and he was able to blind that man for the time. Listen to this one very carefully when you have unconditionally surrendered to the authority and the power and the leadership of the Holy Spirit you will be able to discern.

You will discern deception you will discern the truth. This magician's name was the son of Jesus by Jesus, but in reality, Paul said your son of the devil.

Meanwhile, the proconsul of the Roman governor of the area believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and he turned to the Lord because he saw that these men who surrendered to the Holy Spirit, and obedient to the Holy Spirit serving in the part of the Holy Spirit exercising the power in front of him. So the first condition for genuine Holy Spirit awakening is an unconditional surrender to the Holy Spirit of God. Secondly, unwillingness to sugarcoat biblical truth unwillingness to sugarcoat biblical truth versus 14 to 41, my beloved friends. I know and you know and I know that you know that today so many people want to downplay biblical truth. Today many people want to downplay biblical preaching today so many people are embarrassed about the biblical truth of the justice of God and the Roth of God.

There are so many Christians were embarrassed about the truth of how a place that is prepared for Satan and his demons and for those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ. They are embarrassed about it today.

So many people are running around saying what we need to do is to make the gospel palatable to our society. What we need to do is to make the gospel to be acceptable to our culture. What we need to do is make the gospel to be easy for people to believe in pain may draw a crowd.

But make no mistake about it, only willingness not to sugarcoat biblical truth will bring about the hottest but it's awakening. If you read it carefully, you will see that Paul knew that is going to be very hard for the synagogue leaders in Antioch and elsewhere. He knew there's going to be hard for the synagogue leaders everywhere he went he knew was going to be hard for them to accept that the entire Old Testament, the entire old covenant is about Jesus that the entire old covenant found its fulfillment in Jesus. Paul knew that when he shows them from the word of God that Psalm 27 Isaiah 55, three, and Psalm 1610 and Habakkuk 15 are all fulfilled in Jesus then I don't like it you that he knew that the ones who have rejected the crucified resurrected Messiah. I'm not going to easily accept what he says but none the less he refused to sugarcoat biblical truth. Paul knew that these Jewish leaders who had waited for so long for the Messiah to come. Paul knew that they are anticipating that he would be of the line of David, but that's about all that they knew that's all that he had in common with them because in their idea was that this Messiah was going have earthly power.

Just like King David that he's going to be earthly king. Just like King David, their preconceived idea of the Messiah that he is going to be a military hero and a mentor to conqueror just like David, like their counterparts in Jerusalem. They have allowed their preconceived ideas of the Messiah to cause them to reject the real one when he came.

They did not accept the crucified resurrected Jesus as the Messiah, but that did not.

The tear Paul one bed from proclaiming him as a fulfillment of all the old covenant that some of you know this through the years like I have been with evangelical leaders, wonderful people will not talk about liberals who don't believe the Bible talk about wonderful evangelical leaders who have said to me through the years. Michael in your face gospel preaching will not when you friends, Michael, you must understand that in-your-face proclamation will close doors for your ministry Michael, you must understand that in your face.

Jesus is the only way to heaven will kill your ministry. They said these things to me on numerous occasions. One of them said to me as a listen we don't disagree with you theologically, but this kind of in-your-face preaching is not going to work to tone it down. Well I'm still here. As long as God gives me a breath will not sugar coat biblical truth.

First unconditional surrender to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, unwillingness to sugarcoat biblical truths verbally uncompromising steadfastness in the face of opposition whenever it isn't different from going to tell you whenever the Holy Spirit is all. Whenever there is proclamation of biblical truth, there will always be two distinct responses now in America there's 1/3 one that says I don't care. But there's always those two distinct responses. In fact, those of the most troubling people. One guy said to me some time ago so well you could be telling the truth he could not doesn't matter to me.

I don't care.

I think he represents the spirit of the age but is always a two distinct responses. Those who believe and thus become saved and those who reject and fight, and thus signed their own eternal death in acts chapter 13. Here you see Gentiles and some Jews were delighted to hear the message but some of the Jewish leaders through Paul and Barnabas out of town first reaction.

Then in verse 48 and 49 of acts 13 when the Gentiles heard, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of God is the first reaction the second direction versus 50 and 51 but the Jews caused some devout women of prominence to rise against them and the leading men of the city then cited persecution against Paul and Barnabas what it Paul do.

He shook the dust off his feet, just like Jesus told the disciples to do a blog I want to tell you this is very ominous at this is not just a simple thing to do is very ominous because the Jews in Paul's day were very scrupulous of not bringing Gentiles dust into Israel and into the dwelling places and the shaking of the dust off their feet was a way of not bringing unholy things. The holy place when Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet.

There was saying to these Jewish leaders that we consider you to be worse than pagans.

That's incredible when you think about. You could not get a stronger condemnation.

I'm getting ready to close. I wanted to listen to what I'm going to tell you a lot of confusion about this this day and age we have this quirky idea that says that loving sinners mean that we never tell them that they are sinners and they desperately need Jesus. We have this quirky idea that says that loving sinners means that we must not only accept them but we must also accept their sin as well and rejection. We have this quirky idea that says that loving sinners means that never to condemn the rejection of Jesus Christ as their own jeopardy for eternity, pray tell me what kind of love is that that is not biblical love.

It's a fallacy. Why, because according to verse 48 of acts chapter 13 only the preaching of biblical truth will bring those who've been apart about the salvation through Jesus Christ.

Listen, I'm not recommending rudeness, far from it.

I have a hard time being rude to anybody, even those who have malign me.

I'm not recommending rudeness at all, far from it is a world of difference between rudeness and speaking the truth in love for true love compels us to warn people of the consequences of their sin.

True love compels us to tell people the truth about the eternity that is awaiting them of torment in hell true love compels us not to sugarcoat the biblical message and may be a person here today position on Michael have always been into religion of always been a good person and always thought that I will make it to heaven because I'm really a good man a good woman. I've been a traditional church woman all my life and but I've never come into a relationship with Jesus Christ. I've never come to the realization that I am soon about birthing center by practicing. I'm heading for hell without Jesus, my denomination, my church will not get me to heaven today on repent of my sins on accept the forgiveness and salvation and eternal life that Jesus made possible when he hung on the cross. 2000 years ago spy heads in prayer. The Holy Spirit has spoken to you say I want to receive the forgiveness and the assurance of forgiveness, repent and turn to you wherever you maybe it's between you and God you come under conviction speak to the Holy Spirit speak to the Lord. Bible said that the Holy Spirit takes our prayers and bring them to the presence of the father. Bible said that Jesus is interceding on our behalf.

Even now, it's a decision between you and him father, we thank you. We bless you we honor you to thank you that you always give us one more opportunity to hear your voice and the voice of your Holy Spirit father God for us who have gone into habit of grieving the Holy Spirit.

Repent and turn to you forgiveness. God, we thank you that you promised forgiveness.

And that's the only thing we hold onto your promise father for that person who has committed his or her life to you. For the first time Holy Spirit work in their lives as a little seek others to guide them in their Christian walk. Above all, Lord, we thank you that your gracious God, and that you love us that you been patient with us in the name of Jesus and for his sake that I pray, amen.

Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael.

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